Where's Wanda?

Although it had a weird and for my taste slow start, the show got better, deeper and more intriguing along the way. I liked the combination of dark humor and an unfolding mystery that at times is best described as a tragedy. However, the beautifully written and portrait characters give it an uplifting vibe which is gripping. I felt touched and connected with Wanda's Family at any point along the way despite the many questionable actions that were taken. After the first two episodes I didn't really want to like it and then I ended up binge watching it, writing this review with a big smile on my face.

Im a native german speaker, being able to watch it in its original language is a big plus. I can safely say the acting is outstanding. Especially the two leads, carlotta and dedo. Apart from them there are many outstanding performances as well. I accidentally watched a scene in english once and the dubbing couldnt quite grasp the original tone of the show. Its german in the best way possible, i cant put it any differently. The humor to me is perfection. The plot is gripping and kept me entertained throughout. With 5 episodes out and three to come i doubt theres anything that could happen that'd make me dislike this show. Its quickly become one of my favourite shows. I love the cinematography and i adore the intro. I showed it to my girlfriend and sister and they were both instantly obsessed with it too. I love that AppleTv+ doesnt shy away from actually spending money on their shows. Netflix has been disappointing me in that department. They'd rather produce 10 seasons of mediocre shows and give them a small starting budget, then cancel all except one or two who do really well. AppleTv+ has a higher budget for their shows and the cinematography really stands out to me again and again (eg in Acapulco and The Big Door Prize). I hope that it'll be renewed or at the very least a wrapped up story. I'm excited to see whats to come.

Review of Where's Wanda?

After reading a favorable review of "Where's Wanda? In the NYT, I decided to check out this series. I'm a struggling language student looking for a respite from the drudgery of studying basic German. "Where's Wanda?" turned out to be perfect. The series, about the bumbling efforts of the suburban Klatt family to find their kidnapped daughter is funny and engaging.

Although the dialog is very simple, it is still way above my A2 German level. Dual language subtitles aren't available on Apple TV (as they are for Netflix), so there are many steps I must take to slow down the playback, capture screenshots and translate the dialog. I wouldn't go to this effort for most of the German language series appropriate for my level.

Even if you aren't a language student, this sweet, goofy dramedy is a gem. The cast of characters includes Carlotta and Dedo, the endearingly inept parents; Ole, their über-capable and nerdy deaf son; and of course, Wanda, their eye-rolling, smart-mouthed daughter. And what's not to love about a town that holds an annual festival in honor of its very own mythical evil hairy monster, the Nuppelwochen?

Many scenes are improbably silly: After Dedo detaches a (presumably) venomous snake from Carlotta's leg, he is told he cannot not let it go-the snake must go along to the ER for proper identification. As the couple drives to the hospital, an arm hangs out of the car window, grasping a brightly colored serpent. The Klatts come up with one hopelessly misguided scheme after another...but their hearts are in the right place, so we hope for the best for them.

I guess the overall score is not representative for this fantastic, heartfelt dark comedy, you literally can't dub German humor. It's like with Korean shows such as Squid Game, you watch it in the original language with subtitles or you don't watch it at all. Axel Stein is in the business since he is a little boy, he was always sarcastic, the reason why he is still in business is because he is somewhat unique with the way he uses his voice, this will get lost in translation no matter how good the actor on the other side of the microphone is. It's a cute comedy series, with a heartfelt topic, where two average people are crossing lines into a world they never thought they would cross in order to find their missing daughter. Give it a chance, it's quite funny.

I've now watched the first four episodes. Initially, I thought it would be another 40+ minute show I'd drop for being boring and slow, but surprisingly, it wasn't. The start of the first episode was pretty average, and I wasn't sure if I should continue or stop, but it kept getting better and even had some genuinely funny scenes in the last 20 minutes. The second episode, although longer, remained engaging and interesting without a single dull moment. The third and fourth episode were also intriguing.

Few reviewers are complaining that they don't sympathize with Wanda's character because they only saw one scene where she was acting annoyingly. They don't care enough to feel sorry for her being missing or to wonder if her parents will be able to find her, and I understand that. But, as you continue watching the episodes, you'll start to feel sympathy for the parents. They are doing much more than most parents would to find their daughter, and the brother is also doing everything he can to help. Watching them try to find her in a crazy and borderline illegal way is entertaining.

You'll enjoy it more if you don't think too logically about what's happening. For example, they're spying on people to get information on their missing daughter, but they're doing it in the most amateurish way possible-if this were real life, they'd have been caught more than five times by now.

This might be my first German show, and I'm enjoying it so far. The lead characters, Carlotta and Dedo, are really likable, and the actors playing them are fantastic. The cast, direction, writing, and intro music (Mania by Alice Merton) are all great. So far, it's an interesting watch that shows what some parents go through to find their child, with a comedic and slightly emotional touch. I'll update my review after finishing it.

Update: Just finished Season 1, and it was awesome! Every week, I waited for the new episode. The last episode was really interesting and entertaining. I was actually about to cancel my Apple Plus membership, but when I found this show, just watching the first few episodes made me renew it.

I wish there had been a complete ending, but they left it on a bit of a cliffhanger, which I don't mind. I'd love a Season 2 or 3, though I don't fully trust Apple since they've canceled good shows after just one season, like Still Up.

If what happens at the end actually happens, they might just have to change the show's title. I didn't like the tiger scene that much. Anyway, I'd still love to see more of these characters and more German shows like this. It's the best mystery drama I've seen this year-totally binge-worthy, and I'd definitely recommend it. 4/5.